Shoe-form.



No. 838,874. y PATENTBD DEG. 18, 1906.

A. G. LEGGE.

SHOE FORM.

PPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23. 1905.

UNTTED STATES lPATENT CFFTCE.

ALFRED G. LEGGE, OF BRCCKTCN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES S. PIERCE, CF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-FORM.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed November 23, 1905. Serial No. 288,640.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED G. LEGGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, county of Plymouth, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Forms, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

During some of the finishing processes in the manufacture of boots and shoes after the boot or shoe has been removed from the last it is important to use a form to preserve the shape of the shoe, and for this purpose a very light form answers the purpose as well as or even better than aform as heavy as a last must necessarily be for lasting the shoe. display purposes in stores itis desirable to have a light and easily-removable form to make the shoe stand up in shape. Also after the shoes are removed from the feet of the wearer, especially if wet when removed, if a form is inserted the shoe will be readily restored to its correct shape and the creases taken out. Forms of various kinds for these purposes have been made; but as a rule they are expensive and not convenient for handling or manipulation.

Some forms or lasts have been made in sections which are separable from each other. some forms have been made which lill only the fore part of the shoe, or, at any rate, do not fill the shoe for its entire length, so that it y may be more easily removed. Some have been made jointed or hinged.

The object of the present invention is to provide a boot or shoe form which is both cheap in price and light in weight, which iills the shoe its entire length, and which is neither hinged nor separable, but which can be so manipulated as to be readily inserted and removed.

ln order to produce a form of the character described, I make a hollow fore part and a heel part, both connected together by a shank portion of resilient material, the upper side of the heel portion being adapted to engage with the fore part when in the shoe, so as to retain it in shape, the resiliency of the shank portion permitting it to be bent by a slight pressure to disengage the forward end of the heel part from the fore part, so that the heel part can be turned slightly upward and forward to shorten the form, thereby permittingreadyremoval or insertion of the form.

Also for' tion forward to shorten the form for the purpose of insertion or removal from the shoe. Fig. l is a bottom view.

Referring now to the drawings, l represents the fore part, 2 the heel part, and 3 the connecting shank portion.

' The fore part l is made of suitable material sufficiently rigid to retain its shape when inserted into the shoe and is shaped, by molding or otherwise, to conform to the shape of the fore part of the last on which the shoe is made. The ball portion of the bottom of the fore part is preferably formed with an open space 4, as shown in Fig. 4, in order to save material and also for convenience in construction.

The heel part 2 is .molded or otherwise shaped to lit the counter of the shoe and has a forwardly-extending top portion 5,which projects forward into the instep and normally engages the rear end of the fore part l. The top 5 is provided with a tongue 8, which extends forward into the fore part l, bearing upy against the roof of the fore part, as shown in Fig. 2, and forming a shoulder 6, which engages the rear end of the fore part, the tongue thus preventing accidental springing back of the heel part.

The short heel portion, with the forwardlyextending top 5, leaves an open space 7 to allow for the handling of the form and for manipulating it to insert or remove it.

When it is desired to shorten the form for inserting or removing it, the flexibility of the shank 3 permits it to be bent, as shown in Fig. 3, by pressing down on the forwardlyextending top 5, disengaging the shoulder 6 from the fore part, and carrying the nose 9, as well as the tongue 8, down and forward into the fore part, turning up the heel part, and thus shortening the form to make clearance for inserting or removing it. When the pressure of the hand is released from the lOO heel part, the resiliency of the shank will cause it to spring back into normal position again.

When both the fore part and the heel part are in normal position, preferably there is an angular space 1l between the side of the extension top of the heel part and the fore part, the ends of the shells being in contact only at the top in order to afford clearance when the extension-top is pressed down. Otherwise it would be difficult or impossible to press it down.

The preferred material of which the form is made is paper or liber board, as this is light and inexpensive, can be easily molded, and possesses resiliency 5 but I do not limit myself to the use of such material.

In the form shown the heel-shell is formed with a flange 12, turned to form a seat for the shank 3, and the two shells are connected by rivets l0 with the shank 3, and the tongue S is represented as riveted to the top extension of the heel 3 but I do not limit myself to this method of uniting the parts.

What I claim isl. Aboot or shoe form comprising a forepart portion, a heel portion, and a shank of resilient material connecting said heel and fore-part portions, the heel portion having an extension-top which normally extends forward to meet the fore part and is held in engagement therewith by the spring of the shank and which is adapted to enter the hollow fore part when the form is shortened by bending the shank.

2. A boot or shoe form comprising a forepart portion, a heel portion, a shank of resilient material connecting the heel and fore part portions, the heel portion having an extension-top which normally extends forward to meet the fore part and which is provided with a tongue which normally enters the fore part.

3. A boot or shoe form comprising a shell of molded material adapted to fit the fore part of a shoe, a shell of molded material adapted to fit the rear portion of a shoe, a shank of resilient material connecting the two shells, an extension-top for the rear shell which engages the top of the fore-part shell, said extension being provided with a tongue which normally enters the fore-part shell, the said extension-top also being adapted to enter the fore-part shell when the form is shortened by bending the shank.

4.. A boot or shoe form comprising a shell of molded material adapted to fit the fore part of a shoe, a shell of molded material adapted to fit the rear portion of a shoe, a shank of resilient material connecting the two shells, an extension-top for the rear portion which engages the top of the fore-part shell, said extension being provided with a tongue which normally enters the fore-part shell, the said extensiontop also being adapted to enter the fore-part shell when the form is shortened by bending the shank, the adjacent ends of the extensionetop and of the fore part diverging from each other downward,

5. A boot or shoe form comprising a hollow shell of molded material adapted to lit the fore part of a shoe, a hollow shell of molded material adapted to fit the rear portion of a shoe, a shank of resilient material connecting the bottoms of the two shell portions, an extension-top for said rear shell, said extension-top having a tongue projecting from its under side and normally entering the fore part, while the end of the extensiontop forms a shoulder which engages the top of the fore part.

6. A boot or shoe form comprising a shell of molded material adapted to fit the fore part of a shoe, ashell of molded material adapted to fit the rear portion of a shoe, a shank of resilient material connecting the bottoms of the two shell portions, said rear shell having an inwardly-turned flange on the under side forming a horseshoe-shaped seat for said connecting-shank portion, said shank being secured to said flange on the upper sidev thereof, and forming a bottom for the rear shell.

7. A boot or shoe form comprising a shell adapted to fit the fore part of a shoe, a shell adapted to fit the rear portion of a shoe, a shank of resilient material connecting the bottoms of the two shell portions, said rear shell having an inwardly-turned flange on the under side forming a horseshoe-shaped seat for said connecting-shank portion.

8. A boot or shoe form comprising a forepart portion, a heel portion, and a shank of resilient material connecting said heel and fore-part portions, the heel portion having an extension-top which normally extends forward to meet the fore part and is held in engagement therewith by the spring of the shank.

9. A boot or shoe form comprising a hollow fore-part portion, a heel portion and a fixed shank of resilient material connecting the heel and fore-part portions and secured to the bottoms thereof, the forward end of the upper portion of the heel art extending forward to meet the rear en of the upper portion of the fore part, the lower portion of the heel part being shortened with relation to the upper portion to form an open space between the forward end of the said lower portion of the heel part and the rear end of the lower portion of the fore part.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED G. LEGGE.

I/Vitnesses:

WM. A. MAoLEon, GEORGE P. DIKE.

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